Modified Ridge Parameters for Seemingly Unrelated Regression Model

In this paper, we modify a number of new biased estimators of seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) parameters which are developed by Alkhamisi and Shukur (2008), AS, when the explanatory variables are affected by multicollinearity. Nine ridge parameters have been modified and compared in terms of the trace mean squared error (TMSE) and (PR) criterion. The results from this extended study are the also compared with those founded by AS. A simulation study has been conducted to compare the performance of the modified ridge parameters. The results showed that under certain conditions the performance of the multivariate ridge regression estimators based on SUR ridge RMSmax is superior to other estimators in terms of TMSE and PR criterion. In large samples and when the collinearity between the explanatory variables is not high the unbiased SUR, estimator produces a smaller TMSEs.Multicollinearity; modified SUR ridge regression; Monte Carlo simulations; TMSE

Serum antibody against Vibrio anguillarum in cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In order to determine the concentration of the antibodies against the pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum, three hundred blood samples were taken from 9-12 month old cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in 4 farms in the north and west region of Fars Province, which had been exposed to this bacteria. An indirect ELISA was employed to examine the serum. Using soluble antigen (SA) indicated that 54% of the examined blood samples contained antibodies against Vibrio anguillarum, while by using whole cell antigen (WCB) only 53% of samples were found to be seriopositive. The highest seriopositivity rate (83%) was observed in farm #2, where clinical signs of vibriosis also occurred. This study revealed that Rainbow trouts fed on raw marine fish meal powder are more exposed to V. anguillarum. Vibriosis in cultured Rainbow trout in Iranian inland freshwater farms is also discussed in this paper

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IN SAUDI ARABIAN ISLAMIC AND CONVENTIONAL BANKS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC CASES

Abstract One of the most important capabilities that an organisation can develop is an effective strategy implementation process, which enables that firm to compete in a given market. Within the framework of strategy implementation, this study focuses in a comparative manner on the implementation processes for strategic management within conventional and Islamic banks in Saudi Arabia. In this thesis, a particular strategy implementation framework is adopted from Okumus (2001 and 2003). This framework offers in a systematic form an explicit explanation of the entire strategy implementation process, therefore providing a comprehensive framework through an integrated systematic understanding. An extensive review of the strategy implementation literature reveals fifteen factors that can influence the strategy implementation process and its outcomes, with these factors taking roles in enhancing the process and resulting in successful implementation outcomes. These factors are organised into four categories or groups: (i) organisational groups; (ii) project groups; (iii) process groups, and (iv) outcomes, each of which contains sub-factors to make them measurable. In operationalising the research, an inductive research approach has been adopted for this study; the data was collected via semi-structured interviews followed by a questionnaire survey used as a support tool. The whole sampled included two Saudi Arabian Islamic and two Saudi Arabian conventional banks as case studies. This study employs face-to-face semi-structured interviews with each of the selected bank’s decision-makers as its primary tool for data collection. The elite interview sample consists of in total eight top managers belonging to four banks: two Islamic and two conventional banks. Each bank has its recent strategic case implementations analysed through the primary data collected. The sample of the interview schedule consists of the top management who were involved in the strategic decision of two conventional and two Islamic banks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The primary criteria of choosing the sample were that those mangers should have a great influence and experience of the strategic decision as well as the ability of declaring the required information. In relation to the questionnaires, the sample included Middle management levels who are only involved in the strategic cases being implemented and studied. Consequently, 260 questionnaires were distributed among the banks; 120 were returned as complete, to be used in the analysis. The response rate, hence, is approximately 46%. The results show that there are clear trends in how the Saudi Arabian` banks’ approach in their strategy implementation, common factors influencing the strategy implementation process and its outcomes, and various considerations regarding the role of religion in both Islamic and conventional types of banks. The subsequent statistical and econometric analysis of the questionnaire data indicates that factors from three of the main groups significantly influence strategic decision outcomes, thereby determining successful strategy implementation. These influential factors are as follows: (i) process and personnel factors, including involvement and communication; (ii) project factors such as time and the priority of the decision; (iii) organisational factors, including top management support, religion, and organisational structure. Further, it is also revealed that in each case the correlation coefficients are positive between independent factors and the outcomes indicating the presence of positive correlation between the outcome and the process factors. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on strategic implementation management by providing a critical and empirical analysis of the sampled Islamic and conventional banks in Saudi Arabia. The findings may in addition prove useful to the leadership of those banks in their attempts to understand the interrelationship between the process and the outcomes of their strategy implementation decisions, by drawing out both tangible and intangible results of strategy decisions

New Liu Estimators for the Poisson Regression Model: Method and Application

A new shrinkage estimator for the Poisson model is introduced in this paper. This method is a generalization of the Liu (1993) estimator originally developed for the linear regression model and will be generalised here to be used instead of the classical maximum likelihood (ML) method in the presence of multicollinearity since the mean squared error (MSE) of ML becomes inflated in that situation. Furthermore, this paper derives the optimal value of the shrinkage parameter and based on this value some methods of how the shrinkage parameter should be estimated are suggested. Using Monte Carlo simulation where the MSE and mean absolute error (MAE) are calculated it is shown that when the Liu estimator is applied with these proposed estimators of the shrinkage parameter it always outperforms the ML. Finally, an empirical application has been considered to illustrate the usefulness of the new Liu estimators.Estimation; MSE; MAE; Multicollinearity; Poisson; Liu; Simulation

Language-in-education policy and planning : the case of Lebanon

Recent changes in Lebanon's educational legislation indicate a shift away from using the national language, Arabic, as a medium of instruction in favour of other foreign languages, namely English, French, and German. The latest decree that was passed in 1994 stipulated that these foreign languages can be used as instructional languages in all cycles, including the pre-school and elementary levels. The issue of language-in-education in Lebanon is an old one, dating back to the arrival of foreign missionaries during the second half of the 17th century. Since then several policies and decisions have been made by the colonial powers and the successive Lebanese governments. This paper reviews these policies and decisions in the light of the country's political history with special emphasis on their impact on students and communities at the socioeconomic, educational and political levels. The paper maintains that the policies made by the French during their mandate over Lebanon (1920-1943) favoured the Christian Catholic and Maronite communities. Meanwhile, the policies adopted by the successive Lebanese governments in the era of independence (1943-1975) were largely improvised and more of responses to emotions triggered by independence. Consequently, several socio-economic and educational incentives determined the spread of foreign languages, especially English, in contemporary Lebanon. This widened the gaps among the classes that make up Lebanese society and contributed to the distribution of quality education along sectarian and socioeconomic lines.peer-reviewe

A flexible method to create wave file features

Digital audio signal is one of the most important data type at present, it is used in various vital applications, such as human knowledge, security and banking applications, most applications require signal identification and recognition, and to increase the efficiency of these applications we must seek a method to represent the audio file by a small set of values called a features vector. In this paper research we will introduce an enhanced method of features extraction based on k-mean clustering. The method will be tested and implemented to show how the proposed method can reduce the efforts of voice identification, and can minimize the recognition time a set of voice extracted features must be used instead of using the voice wave file

Sources, Dangers and Treatments of Oily Soil Pollutants in Iraq

Oil pollution presents significant risks to living organism and human health because it can alter the ecosystem in rivers, seas, oceans, and pollutes air and soil. Oil, for example, can even reduce the efficiency of drinking water plants. Iraq suffers a lot from oil pollution as a result of wars that not only damage the oil infrastructures but also cause loss of thousand hectare of agriculture lands. In addition, oil pollution become primary factor that contribute to the electricity, fuel shortage and traffic jam problems. Oil pollution can be easily found in many parts of Iraq, even in main streets, houses and gardens due to the residents mismanagement and misuse of oily products. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to focus in detail about the sources and dangers of oil pollution on the environment and soil, as well as to provide some suggestions and measurements that can help in limiting the impact of oil pollution in Iraq

Solving Erosion and Corrosion Problems in Jordanian-Potash Company

The amount of surface material eroded by solid particles in a fluid stream depends on the conditions of fluid flow and on the mechanism of material removal. The paper  first analyses the mechanism of material removal for ductile and brittle materials. For ductile material, it is noted that erosion produced by particles striking the surface at shallow angles (  but the maximum erosion in brittle materials at perpendicular impact at ( . In  this paper ductile materials (steel alloys) are studied, then the paper discussed some aspects of the fluid flow conditions which may lead to erosion. Kind of pipe which connect between pumps and factory in Potash Company-Jordan is a carbon steel pipe. Because of large pressure from pumps (10 bar) and huge mass flow rate (about 700(m3 /hr)), particles (KCl, NaCl, ,MgCl) will strike with inner of pipe, erosion will happen, so a pipe will destroyed after many years. This problem considered costly, where Arab Potash Company is changing this pipe every seven years. Keywords: Erosion, Corrosion, Pipe System, Cracks, Fluid Flow, Steel Alloys, Brittle, Ductile